


Cast in Bronze

by rivensilk



Series: rangshi/atla wlw week 2020 [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi
Genre: F/F, One Shot, Pining, Pre-Canon, Rangi POV, Rangshi Week 2020, also pretend we still don’t know who the avatar is, i simply took the word domestic and ran with it, i’m sorry i’ve failed you @ rangshi week prompt, just squint a little and pretend it’s all soft/domestic, pre-the rise of kyoshi, soft/domestic, there might be more angst in this than what you see at first glance oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26486893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivensilk/pseuds/rivensilk
Summary: It was a plain noodle soup, the most basic lunch Rangi could think of, and well within the bounds of what Rangi imagined Kyoshi could cook, but it was food that Kyoshi had made for just the two of them. Something about that warmed Rangi deep in her heart.Kyoshi shoved aside a mess of dishware to clear a small space on the counter and pushed herself up. Rangi gave her a censuring look but Kyoshi said, “What? There’s nobody else in here to yell at me, and I didn’t think you would,” followed by a shy grin.Rangi rolled her eyes. She fished out all the noodles with brisk efficiency to scarf them down then forwent the chopsticks to sip her broth at a slower pace. They were still alone and had been for minutes now, and the comfortable silence that rested between them in their corner of the oversized kitchen started to cause Rangi’s imagination to wander.It felt domestic. Rangi nearly choked on her soup when the realization hit her.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: rangshi/atla wlw week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929493
Comments: 26
Kudos: 129





	Cast in Bronze

**Author's Note:**

> rangshi week 2020: soft/domestic

Yun’s hot squats were more perfect than those done by at least half the girls that Rangi went to the academy with. His jade green eyes shone with sharp focus, fierce and unrelenting as he worked through his sets that totaled five hundred reps.

Sweat glistened on his skin as Yun labored in the middle of the training grounds under the hot sun. Rangi could hear his heavy huffs from where she stood in the shadow of the high wall that surrounded the area. Hei-Ran had charged her to temporarily oversee Yun’s training while she had a meeting with Jianzhu and a few diplomats, but to Rangi, she was simply keeping Yun company. 

Yun performed the exercises more than well enough on his own; there was little else Rangi could say to improve his form. Seeing him in his cotton uniform caused vivid memories of her own training days to race through her mind. 

Life at the academy was miserable but necessary. To be forcibly shaped like cold iron thrust into a blazing forge, Rangi felt like she understood what Yun was going through better than anyone else. Even from this distance, she could see the grim set of his brow and the grimace of his chapped lips baring grit teeth. 

_We were born into an immutable form_ , Rangi thought, _and iron is still iron no matter how it’s reforged._ Yun was the Avatar and Rangi was his bodyguard. She wouldn’t think to ask for a different life, and Rangi was fully, wholly certain that Yun could do it.

He was already doing it, in a way. Yun’s natural talent and charisma had carried him this far before he’d even produced his first spout of flame. Rangi and everyone else in the Avatar mansion were holding their breath for that fated day, but Rangi knew the pressure that rested on Yun’s shoulders. 

She’d seen the extra practice he would put in when he thought everyone else was asleep. By the light of the moon, Yun would work on more reps, his lips moving to count silently lest he woke anyone up. 

Rangi left him alone when she caught him sneaking out to the training grounds and settled for watching from afar. The last thing she wanted to do was to interfere with the Avatar’s training, but Rangi didn’t want to see Yun get hurt either. 

Today, at least, Yun looked less on edge without Hei-Ran breathing down his neck. Perhaps today he could make fire. 

Yun shifted into the Fire Fist stance, flawless in his form, and started to punch at the air. Rangi squinted as she leaned forward, but even if she tried to imagine that it was there, the flames wouldn’t appear. 

Rangi didn’t shake her head nor sigh. She wasn’t disappointed in Yun—she was more worried for him and the growing criticism he would have to bear as another day passed where his painstakingly perfect training yielded no results. 

She understood that Yun was desperate to take the form that everyone expected of him: a fully realized Avatar. But there was more to being the Avatar than bending, and Rangi could only silently hope that he continued to persevere.

And whatever form Yun needed her to take, Rangi would do her best to fulfill it. Bodyguard or confidant, hidden ally or outspoken supporter, Rangi would do it because she was more than honor-bound. Past her duty and as blasphemous as it sounded, Rangi sometimes felt like she and Yun were the same. 

“Rangi?” Yun’s voice carried easily across the distance, slightly hoarse and strained from exhaustion. Rangi’s lips twisted into a sympathetic smile as she strode over in quick steps. She’d been there before; Fire Fists under the midday sun were their own unique torture. 

“Avatar.” Rangi gave him a deep bow. “What can I do for you?” 

Yun stretched his arms above his head and made a satisfied grunt as his shoulders popped. “I want you to take the rest of the afternoon off.” When Rangi began to frown, Yun grinned and added, “I need silence to meditate. You know what Hei-Ran says about how what you do when no one is guiding you determines who you are.” 

Rangi didn’t have anything to say to that because she’d heard it over dozens of times herself. She could only purse her lips and scowl in silent displeasure. “I can be quiet,” Rangi tried to negotiate.

“As your Avatar, I command you to take the afternoon off.” Yun’s tone was mock-stern and his bright eyes twinkled with playfulness.

“Please stay on the premises,” Rangi said with a deep sigh, rolling her eyes, “or I’ll be forced to follow you everywhere for a week.” 

Yun smirked and pushed his sweaty hair out of his face, and for a moment, the pieces clicked. _I see what she sees him in_ , Rangi thought, her eyes narrowing as she took in the way Yun glowed under the sun. The light caught on his edges, sharpening his jawline and softening his jade green eyes. 

As for who _she_ was, Rangi didn’t need to think of her name. Her face was always lingering somewhere in Rangi’s thoughts, but Rangi elected to ignore it. _No distractions when I’m with the Avatar._

“A week,” Rangi repeated threateningly as she began to walk backward. “Night and day.” 

“I’ll see you later!” Yun said with a laugh. 

After one final, fierce glare, Rangi turned to head toward the barracks, but a flicker of movement in the corner of her vision caught her attention. Someone in servants’ clothing had just passed by, and the sight of them was enough for Rangi to shift her path. 

Her legs moved of their own accord. Rangi hated idleness; she simply wanted to check in on what everyone else was doing. That was all.

Rangi’s feet subconsciously led her through the winding hallways to end up in front of the service entrance that ran underneath the estate to the kitchen. Since Yun had been scheduled for training with Hei-Ran, this was where _she_ was most likely to be. 

Rangi descended into the tunnel, passing harmlessly beneath the support beams, and slowed her pace as she heard the rhythmic thumps of someone steadily splitting firewood in the hall ahead. Light spilled into the dim hallway, forcing Rangi to adjust to the brightness before continuing into the room.

Her prediction was right, but Rangi was still caught off guard to have run into her so quickly. She paused at the entrance, blinking rapidly. It was Kyoshi working with the splitting maul, the sleeves of her plain servants’ garb rolled up above the elbow to reveal surprisingly toned forearms. 

The back of her shirt was darkened with sweat, meaning that Kyoshi had been in here for a good while. Rangi frowned. “Why are you wasting your time here? Isn’t that someone else’s job?” 

Also predictably, Kyoshi startled, spinning with wide eyes toward Rangi’s voice. Judging from the panic in the girl’s face, Rangi was glad that she’d spoken while the ax was still lodged in the chopping block because Kyoshi likely would’ve dropped the thing on her own feet.

“Rangi,” Kyoshi said with a relieved exhale, a small smile gracing her lips. “I’m just filling in for today. I thought Yun was training with Hei-Ran?”

“He is.” Rangi came forward to stand next to Kyoshi and glanced down at the firewood. Kyoshi had amassed a sizable pile and stacked them neatly, as organized as ever.

“Oh,” Kyoshi said, her brows knitting with confusion, “then why are you . . .”

 _Why_ am _I here?_ Rangi thought, finally realizing with perfect clarity where she was. She also knew the answer to her question but didn’t want to admit it because the reason stood right in front of her, sweaty and covered in dust.

Even like this, Kyoshi looked beautiful. The hall was lit with torchlight and the flames held perfectly still, undisturbed by any movement in the air, but Rangi felt like they were mirroring the vise she had gripped around her heart. 

The dusting of freckles across Kyoshi’s tanned cheeks tempted Rangi to cup Kyoshi’s face in both hands to pull her in for a closer look. And while Yun’s green eyes were the color of cool jade, Kyoshi’s were like lush, dark foliage. Errant strands of long, brown hair drifted from her shoulders as Kyoshi tilted her head to peer at Rangi curiously.

“Have you eaten yet? Lunch?” A bit of tension released from Rangi’s shoulders as Kyoshi changed the subject.

“At this hour?” Rangi raised an eyebrow but her heart shook, unsettled by her lapse in judgment. “It’s a bit early for lunch.” She should not have sought Kyoshi out, but now that she’d found her, Rangi couldn't walk away.

Kyoshi shrugged as she wrenched the splitting maul free. “I’m just about done here and I know you wake up early. If you want, I can make something for us.”

“Fine,” Rangi grumbled. “Whatever.” 

Kyoshi cast a happy grin over her shoulder as she hung the ax in its proper place on the wall. “Any preferences?” Kyoshi asked, heading out of the firewood hall and deeper into the heart of the estate. “You were outside for a while, and it must’ve been hot.”

“Heat doesn’t bother me,” Rangi said, her gaze tracing the outline of Kyoshi’s slender back. It was easier for her to stare unabashedly when Kyoshi was turned the other way, but Rangi still tried not to indulge too much. 

“Really? Is that a Firebender thing?” Kyoshi twisted around to meet Rangi’s eyes with an interested expression, and Rangi’s heart stuttered like she’d been caught.

But there was no way Kyoshi could’ve seen the mesmerized look on Rangi’s face. As they moved into the kitchen, the difference in lighting kept Rangi in the shadows of the hallway. 

“It isn’t,” Rangi answered curtly and stepped farther into the room. The raucous clashing of metal pots and pans greeted her immediately, but it was more subdued than the usual ear-splitting din that included people shouting over the roars of the flames. 

“Kelsang and Jianzhu are meeting with Earth Kingdom dignitaries and took an extended tea,” Kyoshi explained, noticing Rangi’s puzzled look around. Only a handful of maids were left to tend to the fires; this was the emptiest Rangi had ever seen the kitchen.

Kyoshi nudged her and gestured for Rangi to follow her over to an unused stove in the corner of the room. Kyoshi had to duck under aromatics that were hanging to dry and wove through the precarious stacks of bags of grain. 

Rangi caught the look of hesitance as Kyoshi passed them like she was deliberating between returning the grain to the storage room where they belonged or moving past, but she gave a little shake of her head and continued. Rangi smiled at Kyoshi’s back. The girl’s habits were odd but so endearing. 

Well, endearing until they got annoying. Rangi almost walked straight into Kyoshi because she’d stopped abruptly without giving any warning or explanation. Rangi had to lean around her to see why and scowled when she realized that Kyoshi was waiting for one of the maids to finish filling a massive pot with water.

It was things like this that made Rangi want to grab Kyoshi and shake her to show that she, too, was as tangible and real as anyone else. Kyoshi walked with light, almost silent footsteps despite her lumbering height, and she tended to shrink in on herself like a timid cat deer.

Rangi had the urge to step forward and press in on Kyoshi’s bubble. She wanted to force Kyoshi to take up more space, but knowing Kyoshi, she would simply let Rangi encroach until there was nowhere left to stand, and even then, she’d still be smiling. It infuriated Rangi. Kyoshi acted like a meadow vole trying to hide in a field of wheat, but for her, Rangi would burn everything down to let the sun shine on her, undivided in its attention, undiluted, unshared. 

Kyoshi deserved it, but she didn’t think so. She waited patiently for the maid to lug the full pot, water sloshing up the sides and onto the ground before she sidled past. 

Rangi was well aware of how the other maids felt about Kyoshi. If the girl had said “Excuse me,” they would have no reason not to yield to her—especially with Rangi at her back—but Kyoshi refused to draw attention to herself and the staff refused to give her any.

Rangi had to clasp her hands behind her back to keep from clenching her fists at her sides. She stiffly followed after Kyoshi, shooting fierce glares at anyone who dared to look their way. _Scullery maids_ , Rangi thought with a disdainful sniff. _Kyoshi serves the Avatar and no one else._

She watched in silence, still glowering as Kyoshi rummaged through the drawers to pull out two bowls. She set them on the countertop as she began to clatter around, hunched over the stovetop. Rangi leaned her hip against the counter and crossed her arms to watch Kyoshi work. 

The quiet, rhythmic clinks of Kyoshi stirring lulled Rangi into dropping her guard. The concentration on Kyoshi’s face was adorable; her brows pulled together slightly as she focused, and her long, slender fingers flew deftly over the ingredients. 

_Her knife skills are surprisingly decent_ , Rangi thought with a raised eyebrow, following Kyoshi’s hands as they dropped the neatly diced pieces into the water. 

Dark green eyes flickered up to meet Rangi’s fixed gaze. “You’re staring,” Kyoshi said softly and gave Rangi a tilted smile. 

“Yeah, to make sure you don’t slice your hand open,” Rangi retorted, tearing her eyes away. She realized with a shock that the kitchen had emptied in the short time Kyoshi had spent preparing their meal, and the only sound left was the low bubbling of boiling water. 

Being around Kyoshi always seemed to have that effect on Rangi—the room could clear, the sky could fall around her, and Rangi would still be watching Kyoshi. For all the space she tried to save for others, Kyoshi took up all the room in Rangi’s thoughts. 

If Rangi’s life was different-

No, she couldn’t afford to follow that train of thought. Serving the Avatar as his bodyguard and protector was the highest honor Rangi had ever dreamed of, and Kyoshi’s honor was serving as the Avatar’s caretaker. Rangi looked after his safety and Kyoshi looked after his things; that was all their relationship could be. 

Nor was Rangi oblivious to Kyoshi’s feelings for Yun, which might have hurt more than everything else if Rangi hadn’t come to terms with it the moment she realized how she felt about Kyoshi. 

Whatever relationship Rangi wished for, her and Kyoshi’s friendship was too important. There was no point in wasting time on unrequited feelings. Part of her duty as the Avatar’s bodyguard was to support his happiness, and Rangi also cared too much about Kyoshi to not support her happiness as well.

But Rangi still sought out situations like this where she could pretend things were different. Kyoshi had finished with the soup and was ladling out two steaming portions, one for herself and the other for Rangi.

Without needing to look, Kyoshi reached into a drawer behind her and pulled out two pairs of chopsticks. “Lunch is served! I hope you like noodles.” Carefully, she picked up a bowl and offered it to Rangi. “Watch out. It’s hot,” Kyoshi warned.

“I can tell,” Rangi said dryly as she accepted it, murmuring a soft thanks as their fingers brushed when the food was passed between them. She could feel the scalding heat through the ceramic of the bowl, but Kyoshi’s brief touch seemed hotter and lingered longer on Rangi’s skin. 

Rangi hadn’t been paying attention to what Kyoshi was making, preferring to stare at the girl herself. Looking down at the soup for the first time, Rangi had to suppress the sigh that ached in her chest. 

It was a plain noodle soup, the most basic lunch Rangi could think of, and well within the bounds of what Rangi imagined Kyoshi could cook, but it was food that Kyoshi had made for just the two of them. Something about that warmed Rangi deep in her heart. 

Kyoshi shoved aside a mess of dishware to clear a small space on the counter and pushed herself up. Rangi gave her a censuring look but Kyoshi said, “What? There’s nobody else in here to yell at me, and I didn’t think you would,” followed by a shy grin. 

Rangi rolled her eyes. She fished out all the noodles with brisk efficiency to scarf them down then forwent the chopsticks to sip her broth at a slower pace. They were still alone and had been for minutes now, and the comfortable silence that rested between them in their corner of the oversized kitchen started to cause Rangi’s imagination to wander. 

It felt domestic. Rangi nearly choked on her soup when the realization hit her. She played it off with a series of coughs as Kyoshi laughed at her for eating too fast. Rangi wanted to get annoyed and bite back with some smart, scathing remark, but Kyoshi looked too beautiful, her giggles making her loose-limbed, bright-eyed, and altogether dazzling. 

Rangi raised her bowl to cover her smile and narrowed her eyes into a scowl. Yes, this was as far as she would let herself go. Sharing a meal with a friend was normal and fine, even if Rangi happened to be eating food that Kyoshi made specifically for her and they were together, alone in the kitchen.

This wasn’t the together that Rangi wanted, but it was the together she’d settle for. It used to hurt, especially when Kyoshi was smiling at her the way she did now. With the gentleness in Kyoshi’s gaze, Rangi could almost convince herself that Kyoshi might return her feelings, but the logical side of Rangi never let her down, and she reminded herself that Kyoshi looked like that at everyone. Rangi wasn't special; Kyoshi was just that sweet.

Kyoshi hummed between sips, her eyes drifting around the room and her long legs swinging idly as her toes brushed across the floor. Occasionally, her gaze would land back on Rangi, then she’d give her that soft look and a smile.

Rangi stopped being able to taste the broth. She felt ill and unsteady and her heart was racing. Rangi didn’t want to consider what she’d give to exchange soft looks for soft touches or to be closer and feel more. 

She and Yun had their fates cast in iron shackles keeping them bound to their duty, but to Rangi, Kyoshi was gold—malleable and beautiful, cherished and desired. Rangi had no will to challenge her destiny because her honor was bigger than her; her honor was Hei-Ran’s, the Sei’naka’s, and the Fire Nation’s. 

But when it hurt like this, Rangi let herself pretend. For the length of time that she could hold her breath, Rangi allowed herself to fall into the delusion of domesticity with the girl she loved. No more Avatar, service, or honor, just Rangi and Kyoshi. 

“Oh,” Kyoshi said, straightening suddenly as she set her nearly empty bowl down beside her. “I’ve got to tell you about this really weird thing I found during my gift duties yesterday.” Kyoshi’s dark green eyes were bright as she prepared to launch into her story, but she waited for Rangi to confirm that she was listening.

Rangi raised her eyebrows and gave Kyoshi a nod, and as the girl began to speak, Rangi took a single, deep, lung-filling breath and held it. 

**Author's Note:**

> is this really just angst disguised as soft/domestic (which is literally what rangi is doing to herself...) why did i make this o(-( 
> 
> to me, rangi feels pretty self-aware and self-controlled, especially considering all she went through at the academy. i hope my version of rangi translates well, but if it doesn't ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ maybe next time?
> 
> oh also the title is a line from that kuruk poem in the first book, but i referenced iron and gold instead of bronze because it feels weirdly meta to talk about your own eye color lmaooo
> 
> \---
> 
> i am open to feedback, and thank you for reading! if you catch a typo or something, let me know and i'll give you an internet cookie. i'm @rivensilk on twitter and @rivensil (no k) on tumblr


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